Spring hanger



' Jan. 16, 1934. w. A. 'rRYoN SPRING HANGER Filed Oct. 9, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 .HTTO RNSYS v WITNESS W. A. TRYON Jan. 16, 1934.

SPRING HANGER Filed 001'.. 9, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 vl N VENTO R WL-L'Q 171,

ATTORNEYS WITNESS Jan. 16, 1934. l w.,A. TRYoN 1,943,566

SPRING HANGER Filed Oct. 9, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 EL? f3, j la a ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. lf3, litt Lenses sraiNG HANGER William A. Tryon, Elmira, N. Y.

Application October 9,

Claims.

In modern automotive practice it is usual to secure one end of each of the supporting springs to the frame through the medium of a spring hanger attachedV to the latter, the connection 5 being generally effected in the case of the front ends of the rear springs by means of a bolt, and in the case of the rear ends of the front springs by means of a shackle. To this end the rear spring hangers may be so formed as to provide l@ depending laterally spaced lugs or ears adapted to receive between them the eye of the spring to enable a bolt to be passed therethrough as well as through the ears, whereby limited capacity for oscillation between the spring eye and the hanger is afforded, the former being generally provided with a suitable bushing immovably se cured in the eye and forming a goed bearing t on the bolt. On the other hand, the front spring hangers may be formed to provide a suitable eye for the reception of the upper pin or bolt of the shackle, the side plates of which extend downwardly to the eye of the subjacent spring through which the lower pin or bolt of the shackle is extended, the side plates of the shackle r being arranged for limited oscillation relative to the hanger and the spring eye.

Commercial spring hangers of the class de scribed are ordinarily cast or drop forged, and in order to afford the requisite strength are necessarily fairly cumbersome, reduire a considerable amount of machine work for their production, and are relatively expensive to manufacture.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a spring hanger formed an integral unit by suitably bending an initially :dat blank of sheet metal to predetermined shape and which therefore Yreadily lends itself to mass production and may thus be manufactured with a minimum expenditure of time and labor and at a relo. tively low cost; which is neat and attractive in appearance; which, when assembled on the frame, affords a high degree of strength in comparison with its weight, and which is fully as satisfactory for the performance of its intended function as the cast or drop forged and much more expensive spring hangers h retofore generally employed.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a spring hanger of the character aforesaid which may be so formed as to enable the spring to be attached thereto by means of a shackle or so as to provide laterally spaced ears for the reception of the spring eye of the spring 1930. Serial No. 487,388

so that a connection between the latter and the hanger can be effected by means of a bolt.

The invention further includes other objects as well as novel features of design, construction and arrangement hereinafter more particularly mentioned or which will be apparent tothose skilled in the art from the following description of certain embodiments of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the said drawings I have illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, a form of my improved hanger adapted for use under conditions in which the connection to the spring is effected through a shackle, Fig. 1 showing the hanger in operative assembly on the side member of .an automobile frame as well as the shackle and a portion of the adjacent spring; Fig. 2 showing a fragmentary transverse section on line 2 2 in Fig. 1 with certain parts broken away to better show internal construction; Fig. 3 showing a longitudinal section on line 3-3 in Fig. 2 with certain parts shown in elevation, and Fig. 4 showing the blank from which the hanger is made as it appears before being formed up to nal shape. In Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive, respectively generally corresponding to Figs. 1 to 4, I have illustrated another embodiment of my improved hanger adapted for use for effecting the connection between the spring and the frame under circumstances in which a bolt instead of a shackle is employed. In Figs. 9 to 11 inclusive, I have illustrated still another embodiment of my invention adapted for use where the connection of the spring is likewise made through the medium of a bolt, Fig. 9 showing a side elevation of the hanger in operative assembly on the frame but with certain parts broken away into section and also showing the connecting bolt and a portion of the adjacent spring; Fig. 10 showing a transverse section on line 10-10 in Fig. 9, and Fig. 11 showing a View of the flat blank from which the hanger is made prior to its being bent up to final shape; while in Figs. 12 to 14 inclusive, respectively corresponding to the three gures just described, l have illustrated still another embodiment of the invention generally corresponding to that shown in said figures but adapted for use where the connection between the spring and frame is made through the medium of a shackle. As far as possible, like symbols are 'used to designate corresponding parts in the several figures.

Referring now more particularly to the form of the hanger shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, it will be understood that the hanger proper, generally designated as H, is formed from a single blank of sheet steel or other metal of suitable thickness to afford the requisite ultimate strength, and that this blank, after being cut to proper shape by a punching or other operation, is thereafter formed up by suitable tools to the shape ultimately desired.

The blank from which the hanger is formed is shown in Fig. 4 and comprises a main portion 1 of generally rectangular shape, from one side of which adjacent its ends a pair of naps 2-2 are laterally extended in longitudinally spaced relation. When the blank is formed-up, these flaps are bent substantially along the line a-a which is coincident with the adjacent side of the main portion to substantially normal position with respect to the latter and are thus adapted to lie against and be secured to the vertical web f of the side frame member F of the automobile, while the ends 3 3 of the main portion which lie in substantial alignment with the flaps, are adapted to lie beneath the lower flange f of the frame and to be secured thereto. That portion of the body portion included between the lines b-b which are more or less coincident with the inner juxtaposed edges of the flaps 2--2 is adapted, when the blank is formed-up, to provide a hollow eye extending transversely of the hanger and of a suitable size to receive the upper pin P of the shackle X which serves as aconnecting medium between the eye of the subjacent spring S and the hanger, this portion of the blank being preferably formed about a suitable mandrel of proper diameter to bring the eye to the desired internal size in accordance with the diameter of the shackle pin intended to be .employed therewith and which may be either rotatable in the eye or pressed or otherwise nonrotatably secured therein, in which case the side plates of the shackle are arranged for limited oscillation on the ends of the pins which project beyond the eye in the hanger.

It will thus be apparent that that part of the blank lying substantially between the lines b--b extending at right angles to the line ct-a, is oppositely and reversely bent during the forming operation so as to provide the depending eye 6, and in order to enhance the rigidity of the hanger as a whole and to maintain it in the shape to which it has been formed-up, I may weld together, after the forming operation is completed, the contacting or substantially contacting portions of the blank at the beginning and end of the eye or loop 6, the welding metal 7 introduced by this operation desirably extending for the full length of the eye measured transversely, that is, along its central axis and serving to firmly unite and hold the parts in place. In Fig. 3 the showing of the welding metal introduced at this point is somewhat exaggerated for the sake of clearness, but it will of course be understood that only so much metal will ordinarily be employed as is requisite to effect a suitable weld.

When the blank is of the character shown in Fig. 4, the juxtaposed edges c-c of the flaps are brought by the forming operation into contact or substantial contact as best shown in Fig. 2 and may, if desired, also be welded together, although under most conditions such welding is superfluous. It will be noted that in order to facilitate these edges being brought to this position, the blank is preferably provided with a small slot or cut d adjacent the juncture of the edges c of the naps and the main part of the blank, this cut being desirable to facilitate the bending and prevent any tearing of the metal at this point. edges c together or substantially together in the nished hanger, however, each of the flaps 2 may be arranged so that its inner edge c is in substantial alignment with the adjacent line b representing the point or zone at which the bending of the blank to form the eye or loop is substantially initiated and the slots or cuts d-d omitted. Under such circumstances the edges c-c of the flaps in the completed hanger will be spaced apart for a short distance instead of being in contact or substantially so.

Preferably after the blank is formed to nnal shape, suitable holes for the passage of the rivets 8 by means of which the flaps and base of the hanger are permanently secured to 'the frame, may be punched in the flaps which now form the side flange of the hanger, and other holes for a like purpose in the portions 3-3 thereof which now form the base of the hanger, after which the hanger may be assembled on the frame. Depending on the type of shackle employed for effecting the connection between the hanger and the spring, the upper pin of the shackle may be either pressed or otherwise fixed into the eye 6 to occupy a nonubtatable relation with respect thereto, or the eye may be tted with a non-rotatable bushing and the upper pin or bolt of the shackle passed therethrough in the usual way so that it can oscillate in the latter, as will be readily understood by those familiar with the art.

The hanger illustrated in Figs. 5 to 8 is generally similar in most respects to the hanger hitherto described, except that it is arranged to provide a pair of depending laterally spaced ears or eyes 6-6 adapted to receive between them the eye of the spring S in the ordinary way, the eye of the spring being provided as usual with a bushing S pressed or otherwise non-rotatably.

positioned in the eye, and the connection be tween the hanger eyes 6 and the spring being effected by the usual spring hanger bolt B which extends through the eyes 6'-6 and through the bushing S and is maintained in place by the usual nut N.

In order to provide the requisite laterally spaced ears 66 instead of a single eye 6 as in the embodiment of the invention previously described, the blank from which the hanger is formed is provided with a slot l0 in its main portion desirably symmetrically spaced with respect to the end and side edges thereof, this slot being of sufficient width to snugly accommodate the eye of the spring with which the hanger is to be employed and, preferably, a little shorter than the distance between the lines b-b dennm ing the zones or regions at which the bending of the blank to form the eyes is initiated. When the blank is formed-up to shape, the relatively narrow strips lying on the opposite sides cf the slot l0 are bent, preferably about a mandrel of suitable size and form, to provide the desired laterally spaced eyes, while the ends 3-3 of the main portion of the blank and which are thus drawn inwardly toward each other, form the base of the hanger and the flaps 2 2 the ver tical flange thereof as hitherto described, the meeting or substantially meeting portions of the blank adjacent the beginnings and ends of the eyes or loops 6 being thereafter preferably welded by welding metal l to retain the parts in proper position and enhance the strength or" the In case it is not desired to bring theV hanger as a whole. It will of course be-understood that the internal diameter of the eyes 6 is determined with respect to the diameter of the bolt B which is to be employed therewith, and is desirably such that the bolt will form a snug nt therein so that the spring will be capable of limited oscillation on the bolt in the usual manner when the parts areassembled. If itis desired to have the adjacent edges of the iiaps 2--2 in contact or substantial contact, the blank maypreferably be provided with slots or cuts d-d as heretofore described, while in order to afford sufficient stock on each side of the slot l() to provide depending ears of requisite strength, the main portion of the blank will generally be made wider, as clearly shown in the drawings, than in the case in which it is desired to provide but a single ear or eye for the reception of a shackle pin. As in the form of the invention previously described, the base and side flange of the hanger are suitably punched or drilled to provide holes for the passage of the rivets 8, preferably after the blank is formed-up, although under some circumstances the holes may be provided in the blank before it is bent to shape.r

It will thus be apparent that the forms of the nvention hitherto described are such as to provide a hanger of very rigid construction and 'elatively light weight, since it is only necessary to employ a blank of suitable thickness to afford the desired ultimate strength, yet a hanger which can be manufactured with a small iuinber of operations and these of a very sim- )le and inexpensive character. By properly layng out the stock, the amount of Waste incident -to the formation of the blanks may be reduced to a minimum, while the welding operation for uniting the meeting ends of the single eye or spaced depending annular ears may be Iperformed very rapidly and at a low cost.

ln Figs. 9, l0 and 11. have shown another form of the invention adapted for use where the connection with the spring is effected through the medium of a bolt and which under same circumstances may be preferred to the form shown in the four preceding gures. It will be noted that in this case I provide the blank with but one flap 2 arranged adjacent one end thereof ind form in the main part of the blank a slot 10 as hitherto described and for a like purpose. When this type of blank is formed-up to the ultimate shape, the flap 2 is turned up at right angles to the adjacent end 3iL of the main porion, while the central part of the latter is bent, desirably around a mandrel of suitable diameter to forml the depending laterally spaced ears or loops 6', and the other end 3b of the main portion brought up into coincidence with the first nentioneo. end so as to lie beneath the latter as best shown in Fig. 9. rihe meeting ends of the ears may then be united by welding metal '7 and the meeting faces of the parts 3a, 3b also joined by spot welding if desired. The juxtaposed portions 3a, 3b now forming the base and the flap now forming the side flange are then punched or drilled for the passage of one or more rivets 3 by means of which rigid attachment of the hanger to the frame may be effected. It will thus be apparent that a hanger having a very simple and rigid construction is provided embodying the requisite laterally spaced depending ears for the reception of the spring eye and passage of the bolt B, further description of vwhich would be unnecessary, and that the superposed portions of the base are very firmly united by the spot or other Welding as well as by the rivet or rivets extended therethrough and the superjacent flange j of the frame.

The form of the invention shown in Figs. 12 to 14 inclusive very generally corresponds to that shown inthe three preceding figures but is intended for use primarily when the connection with the spring is effected through the medium of a shackle and it is thus desired to provide but a single eye or loop for the passage of the upper shackle bolt, as in the case of the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to ll. The body of the blank may therefore ordinarily be made narrower than the blank shiwn in Fig. 11 because of the absence of the slot 10, but in other respects is generally similar thereto, the forming up of the blank and Welding of the ends of the eye and the juxtaposed surfaces of the end portions-of the blank being carried out and the punching or drilling of the rivet holes being performed as already described to provide a finished hanger of substantially the shape shown in Figs. 12 and 13. The two last described embodiments of the invention are advantageous in that they require somewhat less stock than the two preceding forms and can be made at an extremely low cost; however, for most conditions of service, and particularly on the heavier types of automobiles, I prefer to employ one of the two forms of the invention first referred to.

While l have herein by way of illustration referred more particularly to certain embodiments of my invention in which the pin or bolt receiving holes in the eyes or loops are substantially cylindrical, the said holes may with equal facility be made hexagonal or of other forms to receive correspondingly shaped pins or bolts, while, additionally, numerous other modifications and changes in the details of design and construction Y of my improved hangers may be made if desired without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as dened in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States:

1. A spring hanger of the class described formed from a single unitary blank of sheet metal and comprising a flange adapted to engage the vertical web of an automobile frame, a base extending angularly from the flange and adapted to engage the lower flange of said frame and laterally separated eye-like portions adapted for the reception of spring attaching means depending below the base, and welding metal uniting the adjacent ends of said eye-like portion.

2. A spring hanger of the class described formed as an integral unit by bending an initially flat blank so as to provide a flange adapted to engage the vertical web of an automobile frame, spaced base portions adapted to engage the lower ange of said frame and laterally spaced substantially annular portions depending below and interposed between said base portions, and welding metal interposed between and uniting the adjacent ends of the annular portion.

3. A spring hanger of the class described formed as an integral unit by bending an initially fiat blank so as to provide a pair of side flanges adapted to seat against the Vertical web of an automobile frame, a base portion adjacent each of said flanges extending angularly therefrom and adapted to seat against the lower to seat against the vertical web of an automobile frame.

5. A spring hanger of the class described formed as an integral unit by bending an initially at blank so as to provide spaced base portions extending in opposite directions and adapted to engage the lower flange of an automobile frame, and laterally spaced substantially annular portions depending below and interposed between said base portions adapted to receive a spring eye between their adjacent end faces.

WILLIAM A. TRYON.

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